Abstract Three newly selected strains of Cyclopia rhizobia together with an inoculant strain, which has never been tested in the field with adequate experimental design, was assessed under both nursery and field conditions for symbiotic performance. The three new test strains were initially selected for their superior Nz-fixing abilities under glasshouse conditions, and then evaluated in this study for field performance. Cyclopia subternata Vogel and Cyclopia genistoides (L.) R. Br., which have the potential for producing high quality honeybushtea, were used as host plants in both the nursery and field studies.The effect of seedling inoculation at the nursery level was also examined for the four test strains under nursery conditions. The inoculation of cuttings under nursery conditions produced.significant increases in shoot biomass, shoot %N and shoot N content. More specifically, inoculating C. subternata with strains UCT44b and UCT61a significantly increased shoot biomass and N content relative to strain PPRICI3. Strains UCT44b and UCT61a also showed better nodulation with C. subternata cuttings compared to strains UCHOa and PPRICI3. Field inoculation of Cyclopia increased all growth parameters relative to the uninoculated control, except for leaf %N. Cyclopia subternata inoculated with strains UCT44b, UCT40a and UCT61a produced significantly lower b15N values than the uninoculatedC. subternata reference plant. Using the 15N natural abundance method, C. subternata was estimated to be gaining about half of its N from Nz fixation, while C. genistoides obtained less than half of itsN from symbioticnutrition.

Abstract Three newly selected strains of Cyclopia rhizobia together with an inoculant strain, which has never been tested in the field with adequate experimental design, was assessed under both nursery and field conditions for symbiotic performance. The three new test strains were initially selected for their superior Nz-fixing abilities under glasshouse conditions, and then evaluated in this study for field performance. Cyclopia subternata Vogel and Cyclopia genistoides (L.) R. Br., which have the potential for producing high quality honeybushtea, were used as host plants in both the nursery and field studies.The effect of seedling inoculation at the nursery level was also examined for the four test strains under nursery conditions. The inoculation of cuttings under nursery conditions produced.significant increases in shoot biomass, shoot %N and shoot N content. More specifically, inoculating C. subternata with strains UCT44b and UCT61a significantly increased shoot biomass and N content relative to strain PPRICI3. Strains UCT44b and UCT61a also showed better nodulation with C. subternata cuttings compared to strains UCHOa and PPRICI3. Field inoculation of Cyclopia increased all growth parameters relative to the uninoculated control, except for leaf %N. Cyclopia subternata inoculated with strains UCT44b, UCT40a and UCT61a produced significantly lower b15N values than the uninoculatedC. subternata reference plant. Using the 15N natural abundance method, C. subternata was estimated to be gaining about half of its N from Nz fixation, while C. genistoides obtained less than half of itsN from symbioticnutrition.